29/06/2017

One of the main life changes about going to university is that suddenly you have to do pretty much everything for yourself... Washing, cleaning, cooking. And undoubtably trying to stay alive by eating well and often is one of the biggest challenges most people face. It can be all too easy to whack a cheeky pizza in the oven or call for a Deliveroo, but unfortunately after a while your body and mind is going to feel the effects of one too many bottles of wine or a lack of fruit and veg. So for today's post I thought I'd share with you a couple of recipes, one that has become a staple of mine and university and one that I discovered just last week. Both are easy to make and pretty healthy, perfect for a quick meal after getting back from that 5pm lecture.

*

- Three Cheese, Walnut & Coriander Wrap -

This is the meal I discovered last week. It's an adaptation of a recipe by Lorraine Pascal that I've changed slightly to make it more flavoursome. From start to finish I'd say it took maybe half an hour to make and prepare so it's a pretty quick one! Another good thing about this, is that all the ingredients are rough estimates, you don't have to be too precious, which makes it good for those of us with busy schedules.

- You Will Need -

- The Method -

If you're cooking for two, in an ideal world you're going to need two large frying pans, but if that's not an option worry not, simply pop the cooked quesadilla in the oven on 110 degrees to keep warm whilst you do the other.

But back to the actual method: start by placing one tortilla in each frying pan and setting to a medium heat. Allow it to warm up before adding all of the remaining ingredients to one side. Now fold the tortilla in half and press down to seal using a spatula or similarly flat utensil. Leave to cook for about five minutes on one side before flipping and cooking the other. You can usually tell they're done when the cheese has fully melted and the tortillas have started to go a tad crispy.

Meanwhile this is the kind of meal that goes easily with a salad of some sort. I won't lie I was coming to the end of the weeks food shop so all I could muster up was iceberg lettuce, rocket and some cherry tomatoes, but you can pretty much chuck in whatever you fancy.

And that's it! Super simple and really delicious.

- Baked Salmon With Soy Sauce & Homemade Sweet Potato Wedges -

This is a meal that I've been making at uni for a little while now, even if when I'm not at home I tend to get shop bought sweet potato fries. However since coming home for summer and having more of an abundance of ingredients, I've been trying to cook from scratch and eat less processed food. The main hassle of this meal is without doubt waiting for the wedges to cook as they take about 30-35 minutes at 200 degrees in a fan oven however it's definitely worth it, as this meal is super delicious.

- What You Need -

The potatoes take the longest to cook by a good twenty minutes so I'd suggest prepping them and getting them in the oven as soon as possible. To do this cut each potato into medium size wedges, you don't want them too thin or else they'll burn, but too thick they just won't cook and will be hard in the middle, so say a medium sized potato should make about six to eight wedges.

Next place on a large baking tray, ideally with sides to stop the oil running out and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and a pinch of paprika. Simply pop them in the oven for half an hour on a high temperature.

Whilst the potato is cooking move onto the salmon. On a separate baking tray place each fillet of salmon on a sheet of tin foil. This should be big enough to wrap around and loosely secure each fillet. Start by splashing the soy sauce generously over each piece of salmon, the tin foil should act like a little bucket catching any excess so that the fish marinates nicely. Next, finely chop the garlic and sprinkle evenly over the top, before adding some roughly torn coriander. These pictures were taken without coriander as we were out completely but it makes a nice addition.

The salmon takes about fifteen minutes to cook so wait until the potato has that long left before popping it in the oven. Serve with salad or vegetables of your choice.

So there we have it! I hope you liked these meals, let me know if they're something you'd try out in the comments! Also I just wanted to say a massive thank you as I hit 1000 followers on twitter which as pretty been my dream since I started blogging, so thank you, you're all amazing <3

26/06/2017

I'm not really sure how to start this post, which in itself is such a cliche, but I needed to write this. I guess I should explain myself first and foremost because recently I've been finding myself dragged down with blogging, the feeling that it wasn't my passion anymore, constantly niggling at the back of my mind. When I first started lilyolivia, I was 18, I'd just finished school and I was lost. I didn't know who I was, what I enjoyed, or who I wanted to be because I'd spent 90% of my life hiding behind the opinions of others for fear of being rejected. I wasn't popular in school, I never had any proper relationships and my friendships were fairly watered down versions of what they should have been. So when I created my corner of the internet it was like finally being able to breathe after holding my breath for so many years. And that may seem a tad dramatic but for a girl who'd never expressed one authentic opinion in her life, it was a pretty huge deal.

23/06/2017

I think it's safe to say I'm a bit of a jewellery addict. It tends to be something I ask for most birthdays and Christmas and more often then not lust over those I cannot afford. Recently I had a little splurge on some earrings from notonthehighstreet.com and it made me really want to create a post like this one.

- Necklaces -

When I thought about picking out my favourite necklaces, there were two that immediately came to mind. Firstly the one anyone who knows me in real life will have seen me wearing this countless times: my Tiffany & Co heart shaped pendant. It's an engraved silver heart with rose gold key decorations that's incredibly wearable and can be worn on it's own or layered with longer pieces.

And then secondly my rose gold Michael Kors necklace. I received this for my eighteenth birthday and it's so beautiful and classy. I tend to wear this more as an evening piece, when I'm out for dinner etcetera. The way the stones sparkle in low light is so beautiful and I'm a huge lover of rose gold so this was right up my ally!

- Bracelets and rings -

The first ring that rarely leaves my hand is the four leafed clover in the top left of the picture above. I actually received this as a present when I left my job last august. They wanted to get me something to symbolise luck and love moving forwards and this was just perfect. The next two I wear as a stack and were also presents. The simple dot ring (similar linked) on the right of the photo was a gift from my sister for my eighteenth birthday and works so well with pretty much anything. I feel like the princess ring is a bit of a cliche but I still love it!

Another ring I wanted to mention is my rose gold Sif Jakobs piece. (Similar linked) I've mentioned it on lilyolivia before but I thought I owed it a special mention. It's definitely a statement ring, but in a subtle, glamorous way!

Onto bracelets! There was only one that I wanted to mention here though I had a couple come in close succession. My leather Pandora charm bracelet was a gift (I swear I do buy my own things!) from my parents for my 20th alongside the two charms. This means a lot to me as my dad picked it out and usually he leaves girly things like this to my mum, but in this case he did a stellar job! The green heart is a symbolism of my birthstone the the silver L is to represent my name.

- Earrings -

I'm sure you've noticed the trend of small hoops? Personally I love it, the more delicate the better. I found these two beautiful hand made pairs on notonthehighstreet.com and honestly I love them so much. They're so beautiful, look expensive and can be worn with pretty much anything. In fact I haven't taken the star pair out since I got them!

21/06/2017

My skin and I have been fighting a never ending war since I was about sixteen. I thought I had it all under control within a year or so with the introduction of the amazing Liz Earle products into my skincare routine, however for some reason, when I left school, my skin flared up again. Probably stress lets be honest! It wasn't horrendous don't get me wrong, but I was watching everyone around me's skin clearing up and mine was just getting worse and worse. Having spots when you're sixteen is ok, it's not when you're nineteen going on twenty.

19/06/2017

My everyday makeup is something that changes slowly, product by product. I would say that I have a few cult favourites that have been with me years, and some newer things that I've only discovered in the last few months but swiftly have became staples. In fact in shooting these photos, it's made me realise that I've actually simplified my everyday makeup a heck tonne recently, getting rid of unnecessary steps that just slow down the getting ready process. Because trust me, if I can get away with it, I would definitely rather an extra ten minutes in bed.

10/06/2017

I won't lie, I'm obsessed with how these photos turned out. There's something very magical about golden light and the way the sun hangs low enough in the sky to make everything in the foreground a deep hue of purple or navy blue. It makes for the perfect backdrop for any silhouetted photograph. One thing that me and my friends do most nights is take sunset walks. It's a great excuse to get out of the flat, get some fresh air and watch the sun disappear behind the skyline. And one day last week it suddenly clicked that these views could make for some seriously stunning photography, and hells was I right!

But then came the problem of what to write the actual post about. Usually I take photos with a specific theme in mind, for example, here's a beauty product, lets review it, but with these I was kind of stuck. They were way too beautiful to just discard but how could I relate them to something that fitted well with my blog style. And then it kind of hit me: why do I go on walks? Because it relaxes me to completely shut off from everything and just listen to the water and watch the baby geese amble along. It just made me realise that for me the sunset and the lake mean so much more than just getting steps on the Health app. It's about taking a moment for yourself to just be calm and peaceful and talk with your friends.

I think everyone relaxes in different ways. Some people like to drink, go out and party. And I have to agree in a way, there is something very therapeutic about drowning out the negative voices in your head with loud music and wine. Other people love reading or watching a movie. Don't get me wrong there's nothing better on a rainy afternoon than snuggling up under a blanket watching classics like Gossip Girl and Harry Potter but sometimes it's nice to get out and do something. And for me it's walking.

04/06/2017

Whilst at university I wouldn't say I eat out all that often and when I do it tends to be the usuals: Pizza Express, Zizzi, etc. Hardly worthy of a review because I think we all know the Nando's drill by now! But last Thursday, me and my best friend spent a day wandering around Oxford in the sunshine, visiting the botanical gardens and dining in the delectable Gee's Restaurant.

02/06/2017

It's strange to think that I've now been at university for a whole year. That's a quarter of my degree done. When you think about it like that and realise that in three years time I'll be graduating; a fully fledged adult if you will, it's kind of terrifying. But that's not to say I haven't had the best year., because I have. It's totally cliche but I really do think I've found my friends for life these past few months. And as someone whose never had close friends before, or truly felt like I was part of something, this means more to me than I can say. And through these friends I've also met my boyfriend and whilst I'm not one to gush (he'd hate me if he knew I was writing this) I really can't believe how lucky I am to have finally found one of the good ones.